Posts Tagged ‘orange county’

As the owner of metro FOR MEN, I’ve always prided myself on keeping clients health and safety at the forefront of our service offerings. That is what makes metro FOR MEN different from other salons, especially our direct competitors. Because I believe this, our nail service offerings for men have been reinvented. We no longer use whirlpools for our pedicure services and stopped using bowls for our manicure services. We did this because of the challenge with keeping these items sanitary and safe for the clients. It is unfortunate that there is an issue with fungus in nail services, so we have eliminated the tools that create the problem. What is even more unfortunate, that some clients think how we do things is wrong. There is no wrong way to provide these services, it is just a different approach and philosophy.

For example, at metro FOR MEN, our nail experts are trained not to cut cuticles. Why? because it isn’t safe for the client. Again, it’s not wrong if a manicurist cuts them, it’s just not how we do it. The reason why we have this philosophy is because the skin at the bottom of the nail bed protects the skin from infection. Additionally, licensed beauty professionals are technically not suppose to do it. We are trained to protect the client from infection and at metro FOR MEN, we will not expose our clients. Plus, once they are cut, they will always have to be cut because they grow back quickly and thicker.

The best way to handle cuticles, which takes a while but is the best and safest way, it is push the back and let the cuticle naturally slough off. I can speak from experience. I am a self professed cuticle cutter and yes I knew better. My cuticles were always red, puffy and inflamed. I always got bad hang nails too. I stopped cutting and started to only push my cuticles, and after some time, my issues are gone.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about our nail services or any other services.

Men need to get manicures and pedicures too. Why? Because there are health benefits for men to take care of their nails. Like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said in a Study in Scarlet, “By a man’s fingernails…a man’s calling is plainly revealed.” A man’s nails can reveal his habits, anxiety level, and certain health problems. Unhealthy nail beds can indicate diseases in the body like:

This is just a small list of diseases that can show up in nail beds and nail health gives valuable indictors of one’s overall health. Getting regular manicures and pedicures by a licensed Manicurist or Cosmetologist can help clients detect health issues early.

Besides early detection of harmful diseases, getting regular Manicures and pedicures has health benefits too. The health benefits can include:

– Stress Relief: Yes MANicures and pedicures feel great and can relax the overall body. at metro FOR MEN we use mint scented products that soothe, heal and relax the hands.
– Strengthen Nails: Keeping nails cut to the right length is a necessity in order to ensure your nails are strong.
– Maintaining Skin Moisture: Salon quality lotions can help penetrate the hands and feet adding extra moisture to even the driest hands. At metro FOR MEN we offer our own paraffin treatment using a plant peel extract to give even more moisture to dry hands and feet.
– Eliminate Odor: Regular pedicures can help eliminate foot odor. How, by keeping the feet in their proper pH and scrubbing off any surface bacteria.
– Smooth Skin: In MANicures and pedicures scrubs are used to slough off dead skin making way for smooth skin. By sloughing off dead skin on the feet, it helps keep calluses, corns and bunions at bay.
– Increase in Blood Flow: Not only is the massage in MANicures and pedicure incredibly relaxing, it also helps to improve blood circulation to your extremities. This can reduce pain and help your body distribute heat. This is especially true in clients with diabetes.
– Prevention of Ingrown Toenails: Professional Manicurists know how to trim nails to prevent ingrown toe nails.
– It’s Sexy: Last but not least, good looking feet are sexy! Guys let me tell you for all the times I’ve heard, “I don’t want to subject someone to my nasty feet.” Well, get a pedicure and they wont be nasty! Believe me, the female in your life will kiss your feet (when they look good) and you may get lucky too…

Final thought…you shake hands with many people every day. What are your hands saying about you? No one wants rough and rugged hands touching them, especially us women. Don’t believe me? Ask a women…

Top 10 men’s skin myths debunked:
When it comes to “anti-aging” and “hair loss”remedies for men, there is a lot of misinformation out there. The board-certified dermatologists at Vorteil set the story straight with the most common men’s skin myths, debunked of course.

Myth #1: Men’s skin is the same as women’s skin

Men’s skin is different than women’s skin. It is up to 40% thicker, pumps out five times more oil, and contains more sebaceous glands. Different skin and hair conditions are also much more frequent in men, including rosacea/rhinophyma (see Myth #5), acne scarring and male pattern hair loss, to name a few. Men’s skin also ages differently than women’s, losing collagen more rapidly after the age of 30. Men’s facial anatomy is different too. In fact, the team at Vorteil published the first scientific article on the differences in the forehead anatomy in men versus women. As a result of this study, wrinkle relaxing injections, such as Xeomin, in men should be performed differently to avoid feminizing the male face.

Myth #2: I don’t need to use sunscreen because I’m never in the sun

Yes, lying out at the beach does accelerate aging, but incidental sun exposure is still the number one cause of aging in men. Why? Just do the math. 20 minutes a day driving in your car and/or walking to and from the parking lot adds up (doing this monday through friday for 10 years is 833 hours of unprotected sun exposure). Only 5% of men use sunscreen daily. Using a sunscreen every morning (after shaving) is critical in fighting against skin aging.

Myth #3: Wrinkle relaxing treatments (neuromodulators) are for women

Neuromodulators are the most common anti-aging procedure in men. According to the latest statistics, over 389,000 men had the procedure last year, up 314% from a decade ago. Why? Because neuromodulator injections are extremely safe, take 10 minutes to perform, last 3-4 months, and correct wrinkles so well that most professional guys consider it essential if they work in an industry where looks matter.

Myth #4: Anti-aging creams and serums work

Over-the-counter anti-aging products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not required to show scientific evidence that they work. Most of these products contain a moisturizer (such as dimethicone or glycerin) which can improve fine lines through retention of water on the skin. Sunscreens (such as oxybenzone and avobenzone) are usually in the product as well, as they are proven to prevent skin aging. The antioxidants, caviar extract and other exotic ingredients have never been proven to fend off aging. The bottom line is that a $10 sunscreen and some Cetaphil moisturizer will work just as well as a $500 anti-aging cream, it’s just marketing hype and fancy packaging.

Myth #5: Men that get anti-aging procedures are “vain”

It’s not about vanity. It’s about function. Most men get anti-aging procedures to look refreshed and rejuvenated, not to look prettier. The aging process is relentless in every man; some choose to take action while others choose not to. Regardless, the necessity to stay competitive, both personally and professionally, is a major driving force in most men. Think restorative, not cosmetic.

Myth #6: Skin aging is caused by genetics.

Genetics only plays a very minor role in skin aging, depending mostly on a man’s skin complexion and pigmentation pattern. Basically, the lighter your complexion, the more susceptible you are to skin aging. According to the latest medical literature, the lion’s share (about 90%) of skin aging is caused by cumulative exposure to the sun’s harmful rays. A simple analogy for skin aging would be that if genetics loads the gun, sun exposure pulls the trigger.

Myth #7: Hair transplantation uses “plugs” and looks unnatural

Used in the 1970’s and 1980’s, plugs are now a thing of the past. Plugs consisted of cylinders of skin that contained 10-14 hairs each. When transplanted to the hairline, it produced an unnatural appearance that resembled “doll’s hair”. Modern hair transplantation is performed using a technique called follicular unit transplantation, whereby individual hair follicles are transplanted to the bald areas using sophisticated microscopes. When performed by a board-certified (MD) dermatologist, the results are undetectable. In fact, most barbers won’t even recognize them.

Myth #8: Redness of the nose means you’re an alcoholic

Redness of the nose is caused by rosacea, which is an inflammatory skin disorder with features of both acne and eczema. A subtype of rosacea is called rhinophyma and is more common in men. Rhinophyma results from excessive oil gland enlargement producing thick bumps and a bulbous nose. Although alcohol, in addition to spicy foods and hot showers, can flare rosacea, redness of the nose is not caused by it.

Myth #9: I have to use moisturizer in the morning.

Moisturizer works not by adding moisture to the skin, but by preventing moisture from leaving the skin. A high quality bland moisturizer, such as Cetaphil, can improve a man’s complexion by improving very fine lines, reducing redness and improving texture. Since the skin is in recovery mode during sleep, the best time to apply moisturizer is actually before bed. In the morning, apply a zinc oxide based sunscreen instead.

Myth #10: Finasteride (Propecia), used for hair loss, is unsafe and will cause permanent sexual dysfunction

Finasteride (brand name Propecia) has been rigorously studied in the medical literature. After proving its safety and effectiveness, the FDA approved it for male pattern baldness in 1997. Drug-drug interactions and allergies are rare if non-existent. The most asked about side effect is decreased libido, which is reported to occur in 2-4% of men. In all the major clinical studies, the men who stopped taking the drug reverted back to normal. In postmarketing analyses , some men have claimed that the side effects were permanent, which prompted the FDA to issue a warning in 2012. The validity and scientific explanation of these claims have not been elucidated.

What gets a new client to come back again and again in today’s economic climate? Your guess is as good as mine. I’m not sure any marketing or advertising person has a 100% sure fire way either. I think we all are grasping at straws and throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks. But nothing seems to stick these days…not even anything for free. Sites like GroupOn and Living Social aren’t doing as well as they used to. I think mainly because merchants realized how much these deals hurt their businesses and that the majority of the consumers did not come back. Why? Did these sites encourage consumers to be fickle?

How about reward programs? Do these programs continue to keep clients coming back? I don’t think they do unless the rewards can be used for anything and everything that is even outside of the business the program runs through. What type of consumer have we become? Do review sites help? I hear most people read the reviews but don’t put a lot of stick in them because they don’t trust the reviewer. So now what?

So if deals aren’t working, rewards aren’t a sure thing, and reviews aren’t trustworthy where does a business go from here? I don’t have an answer but I still believe in the tried and true customer service approach. Kill them with kindness is my motto and knowing my product is the other. I continue to grow in my trade, seek new ideas and stay current on trends. I provide men’s haircuts that fit to that clients needs and make sure I don’t do the same hairstyle on everyone because not every man can wear the same hairstyle.

I just finished with a training class last weeks and I teach my stylists at metro FOR MEN to create looks for that man that will compliment his look. Basically, metro FOR MEN delivers customized men’s haircuts and that is what I believe will keep clients coming back time and time again. This economic climate is tough to navigate, but after 15 years metro FOR MEN is still standing strong and will continue to under my values.

My last blog post was January. Not such a great track record huh? Well I’m back and fierce as ever. Since January metro FOR MEN has undergone major renovations. Every business knows that its team can make it or break a company. We are not immune. In April of 2013, I hired and trained a whole NEW team while pregnant with my first child. To most people, that alone could have devastated a company, but not metro FOR MEN. I love what I do and am passionate about my company. I worked every day all day because that is what it took to assemble a new team and train them to the caliber our guests expect.

Today, I have a team I dreamed of where everyone is grateful for the opportunity that I’ve provided. There is no negativity and everyone gets along. I knew one day that positive would conquer! I was told once that, “no one wants to work in the environment you want to create”. I almost thought she was right. But I stayed true to my mission, to provide a work environment where people work truly as a team. My dream has been realized…

Hello MFMers! We have added a new product line at metro FOR MEN, the grooming environment for today’s man. TOWELDRY has been added to our impressive list of men’s grooming products. TOWELDRY, an innovative line of professional hair care products designed to simplify the grooming experience for men. Check it out at www.toweldrymen.com today and pick up your favorite product at metro FOR MEN today!

Ask the men’s grooming expert about shoe shines. Polishing your shoes regularly will keep your shoes looking their best for longer. My advice is get your shoes polished right before or during a rain to condition and protect your shoes. A good shoe shine associate will apply a layer of leather/suede protectant to ensure your shoes will not absorb water. At metro FOR MEN we prep, polish and finish shoes and host the best shoe shine in town.

This year has started off great and what a great way to start it off by being inspired. I attended our industry hair show today…ISSE Long Beach. It’s amazing to be surrounded by incredibly talented people and others who are inspired by them. While the show is heavily geared towards women’s hair, it still inspired me to be true to my craft, stay connected to the indusrty and do great work! I watched platform artists from Johnny B’s, Woody’s, Oster and Andi’s. One of the most memorable moments I had at the ISSE show was the design work on a male model from Babyliss. The design he received on the side of his head which was done with freehand clipper work was awesome.

The highlight of my hair show experience was meeting up with the metro FOR MEN team for breakfast at The Pike in Long Beach, CA before the show. I recommend this place, great food, and strong irish coffee. We enetered the show together and were inspired together. I could not ask for anything more! A team that plays together stays together.

Happy New Year! I can’t tell you how glad I am that 2011 is in the past and for the arrival of 2012. My new year’s resolution is to put 2011 to rest and leave it there…in the past. While 2011 was a good year for metro FOR MEN and the shop was always rated well (we had 4.25 stars out of 5 as of Sept. 2011), going into 2012 its so better. metro FOR MEN has been given 5 stars out of five on Google Places. How did we manage to get such a great rating in 3 months? The shop has been blessed with talented, caring and happy service providers. We have reviews coming in saying “what a great environment. You can feel the moment you walk in the staff staff cares…genuinely cares about the customers and each other”.

Almost a year ago, I was told my dream to have a shop where associates cared about each other and the customer was lofty at best. That people in this industry don’t care about anything else but themselves and competing to have it all for themselves. I disagreed and said I will keep keep trying no matter how many people I have to go through to get my dream team. I was bid farewell with a closing statement of “it will never happen”. For a brief moment I doubted my dream, but forged foward anyway.

I’m glad I did, because I have my dream team and I will keep adding to it with like minded individuals that want to be part of my dream. Thank you to my nay sayers because without you, my dream would have never been realized. metro FOR MEN in 2012 is going to continue to be the leader in men’s grooming and will reach new goals…and dreams. For this reason, it is why metro FOR MEN is a Top 200 Salon in America. Here’s to an AMAZING 2012!

Ask the men’s grooming expert…I was speaking with a customer today during his haircut about shampoo and he said to me, “all shampoo is the same”. What he said has some merit. All shampoo cleans hair, but not all shampoo is created equal. What I explained is what separates drug store shampoo and professional shampoo bought in a hair salon or beauty supply is the quality of ingredients. Non-professional shampoo contains alcohol, detergents and polymers that can build up on the hair and scalp. They are generally watered down and easy to overuse because of its concentration. Professional shampoos contain water so they are soluble, do not build up on the hair and scalp, and are heavily concentrated. The more concentrated the shampoo, the less you need to use, thus saving you money.

His other argument was professional shampoo is expensive. It is more expensive than drug store shampoo because you are buying better quality and ingedients. As I mentioned before, professional shampoo is highly concentrated requiring less to go farther. A professional shampoo will last two to three times longer than a drug store shampoo of the same size. Drug store shampoo is so watery that most of it goes down the drain as you try to apply it to your hair. Where as professional shampoo stays in the palm of your hand until its applied to the hair. That is why it lasts longer and therefore costs less over the lifetime of the bottle.

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

See what is being said about metro FOR MEN.

Larry Damato, President, MD Builders, Inc.

"I was looking for a salon that was at least a little hip and I was hoping that it would be a place that could serve men as well they serve women. I ended up getting more than I could have ever wished for on both counts."